Your decision

I was just working on uploading the SL Ship Mods to TLR again aswell as to the SWAT Portal... when I stopped and thought "why am I doing everything twice?"
This year ive done already 5 software updates to both of the sites... that costs time.

I already mentioned the plans to merge the Community Frameworks of both sides so they share the platform that they work with.
That this kind of sharing works easily can be seen at the continuum forum and the edge of chaos forum which currently are part of the TLR framework.

The first try to merge the SWAT framework with the TLR one failed.
Actually everything went well... everything was transfered and everything was working... except the passwords of the transfered users.
Thats the problem... the SWAT Portal uses a different password encryption than TLR. Thats the one and only problem trying to merge the frameworks.
If i would have known that the old TLR side used a different password encryption I would have changed it in 2010 when i got the page and where all users had to request a new password anyways (that clearly would have solved this prob).
However, its too late for that.

What does merging the Community Frameworks actually mean?
It means both communities share one member base (this one will be merged) and they share the same kind of software. But the websites, their forums, the portals can still operate in seperated form while all members can make use of both side with just one account.
It also means that resources can be shared very effectivly.
Upload into the SWAT download database will be also available at TLR, added links will be available to all, updates only have to be done one time... moderation can be shared. Its also possible that certain FL discussions which are currently done at SWAT can happen here at TLR aswell.
Practically it has only good effects on both sites.

... that means if it would work.
The only way to make it work would be to change the encryption and reset the passwords of one of the communities.
Since SWAT has hundreds of active members which visit the site and user their accounts it for sure will not happen that I reset their passwords... TLR on the other side has not that much activity (something which could change after the merge).

The point is... I dont want to make such a decision on my own. Ill set up a poll where the TLR members can decide which way to go.
The Poll will stay open till end of march (enough time).